Mel Helitzer, a longtime Athens resident and former professor of journalism at the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism at Ohio University, passed away Saturday, April 11, at the Cleveland Clinic. He was 84.

Helitzer, who joined the faculty at Ohio University in 1979 and was named a University Professor in 1982, was well known for his popular humor writing class. The class, one of the nation's first university courses on the subject, was featured in Newsweek and The New York Times.

"We were sorry to hear of the news," said Tom Hodson, director of the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. "For many years, Mel was a vital part of the school of journalism. His teaching and his humor touched the lives of thousands of students while at Ohio University. We were proud to have him as a colleague, and he will be sorely missed."

Helitzer earned bachelor's degrees in economics and journalism from Syracuse University in 1948. Throughout his career, Helitzer was an entrepreneur, a television producer, an advertising director, a reporter, a playwright and an author. His teaching and interest areas also included sports media, advertising, public relations and feature writing.